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Aston Villa icon McGrath says club heading for League One

Aston Villa hero Paul McGrath expects the club to be relegated from the Premier League this term – and says they could also get relegated the season after.

Villa have made the worst ever start to a Premier League season and are currently bottom with only six points after 16 matches.

And McGrath, who is known as ‘God’ by fans after a seven-year spell at the club in the 90’s, blames owner Randy Lerner for the team’s current plight.

“Americans don’t know what Villa means to Villa fans. You need people who love the club. I have always loved Aston Villa and it is because the way the fans have treated me,” he said.

“If there are not people who love the club then it is going to downhill anyway. We are going to be second division next year, probably third division after and we are not going to come back.”

Lerner bought the club in 2006 and initially gave Martin O’Neill plenty of funds to bring in players.

However the 53-year-old – who has publicly declared his intention to sell the club – has drastically scaled back his investment after the O’Neill’s side failed to qualify for the Champions League.

“I wouldn’t be looking at Randy Lerner to run the club, seriously. I am sure he is a nice guy and I have met him a couple of times and he is a nice human being,” McGrath told the Daily Mirror.

“But he is a guy who wants to make money and sell assets like Christian Benteke at £32million, who is brilliant. You can sell your best players but, Jesus, who has kept us up? We are in dire straights at the moment, hopefully we can still stay up.